LOS ANGELES (AP) — Just four games into his extraordinary rise to stardom as a walk-on tailback at Southern California, King Miller has learned about the high costs of football success.
His twin brother, Trojans offensive lineman Kaylon Miller, is demanding postgame meals at In-N-Out Burger as a reward for his excellent blocking — and Kaylon weighs at least 80 pounds more than King, so that bill can get hefty.
After King rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown
last Friday in No. 17 USC's 38-17 victory over Northwestern, Kaylon ordered two double-double cheeseburgers — King talked him down from three — along with fries and a shake.
“And he was smiling when I gave it to him,” King said Tuesday with a laugh. “He's trying to make it a repetitive thing now. He's trying to get it next week, too. We're gonna see about that.”
The Miller family already put its money where its dreams were by sending two sons to walk on at expensive USC. After injuries disrupted the top of the Trojans' depth chart at tailback last month, King Miller seized the chance to make those dreams come true.
Miller has topped 100 yards rushing in three of his four games since becoming Tailback U.’s primary ball-carrier. He has broken five runs longer than 40 yards, and he has been one of the nation’s most effective running backs after contact.
“Honestly, I’d be lying if I said I thought all this was going to happen,” Miller said. “I thought I was just going to play my role, but that’s all I’m going to keep doing. There’s not a lot of people that get to do this, so I don’t take it for granted.”
Miller has already cracked the top 10 in the Big Ten in rushing with 636 yards — a whopping 7.9 yards per carry — despite being 25th in rushing attempts.
His brother is also getting snaps at right guard after starting the season as a backup. The Millers will take another step when the No. 17 Trojans (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten) host Iowa (6-3, 4-2) on Saturday — and their scholarships will be coming soon as well.
“Those guys are clearly a matter of when, not if,” coach Lincoln Riley said.
King Miller has been dreaming of wearing USC’s cardinal and gold as long as he can remember. He was determined to run in the footsteps of the Trojans' long line of star tailbacks, including five Heisman Trophy winners at the position.
The Miller brothers are from Calabasas, California, the far-western Los Angeles suburb best known for mansions built among rolling foothills housing the likes of Drake, Will Smith, Justin Bieber and the Kardashian family.
King Miller starred at Calabasas High School, but he wasn’t recruited as heavily as his teammate, current Texas receiver Aaron Butler. With some colleges apparently doubting his speed, Miller got scholarship offers from Nevada, San Jose State and Portland State — but USC and Riley also were keeping watch, and the Trojans eventually offered a place to both brothers as preferred walk-ons.
But the USC running back room has been loaded since Miller stepped on campus.
Miller didn't get to play as a freshman last season while Woody Marks rushed for 1,133 yards and Quinten Joyner served as a capable backup. The Trojans then signed junior college star Waymond Jordan and Iowa State/New Mexico transfer Eli Sanders to play this fall.
Jordan and Sanders both got off to impressive starts, and Miller was down the depth chart — although he made the most of his limited touches, such as when he took off on a 75-yard touchdown run in USC's season-opening win over Missouri State and made a 41-yard scoring run against Georgia Southern. Miller still realized he might only get sporadic carries for another year.
“He never lost focus, never stopped supporting his teammates and being a part of this team,” Riley said. “King had the perfect attitude.”
And then USC's top two tailbacks got hurt in the same game against Michigan.
Jordan hurt his ankle and Sanders badly hurt his knee, sidelining both for the foreseeable future. Thanks to two additional injuries farther down the depth chart, Miller and Bryan Jackson were suddenly USC's only healthy tailbacks for the second half against a Big Ten powerhouse.
Miller promptly for 158 yards and a touchdown — the first scored by a USC walk-on since 1994 — while the Trojans beat the 15th-ranked Wolverines.
After Notre Dame's stingy defense held Miller to a mere 70 yards rushing, he ran for 129 yards and a score at Nebraska before putting up another big game against Northwestern.
Jordan, who is averaging 6.5 yards per carry, is hoping to return this season, while Sanders appears to be out for the year. Both USC transfers have been vocally supportive of their replacements, with Miller describing a collaborative group at the position.
“They help me understand and take a deep breath,” Miller said. “It's a big deal being the starting running back at USC, so it's just about understanding that and not taking that for granted.”
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